Guy Morgan was annoyed that the hosepipe ban imposed by his local water company was ruining his garden. So he drilled a borehole and now has unlimited free water gushing up from groundwater lying 20 metres below his driveway.
Morgan, a research scientist from Longworth, Oxfordshire, is among hundreds drilling for water in their own back gardens to evade hosepipe restrictions, high bills and contamination scares. He spent 3,500 pounds on his system and is delighted with the results. "I was paying for a sprinkler licence but during the hot weather when I wanted to exercise it, they would impose a ban," he said.
In 1986 the British Geological Survey was notified of 86 new boreholes. By 1992 the figure had grown to 194. This year, the number of enquiries has shot up, with one firm getting four calls a day.
W.B. and A.B. Morgan, a drilling company from Herefordshire, said it sunk 100 domestic boreholes last year. "People are very worried about the quality of mains water," said Brian Morgan, the owner. "With their own water they feel secure about what's in it."
Morgan's company has just finished installing a borehole at Pamela Twelvetree's Victorian farmhouse in Powys. "It will be a great delight not having to pay a quarterly bill," said Twelvetree.
For others, a personal water supply is less of a luxury. Kim and Alan Fay, from Wayhill, Hampshire, would have had to pay thousands of pounds to be connected to mains supply. A borehole was a cheaper alternative. "It's fantastic," said Fay, a computer programmer. "The water is from a natural source and will probably bring up the value of our house." For some, a borehole has led to a flow of new income. Four years ago the Benham family dug for water in the yard of their Welsh farmhouse; now their cowshed is a bottling plant and they trade as the Benham Water Company with an annual turnover of about 250,000 pounds.
Last week residents in Parracombe, Devon, won a battle to continue drawing water from the springs of nearby Exmoor. South West Water has proposed linking the village to the mains at a cost of 250,000 pounds but the 250 villagers campaigned against the idea.
There are concerns, however, over the use of domestic boreholes. "Generally, groundwater is of good quality but some of the sources used by private individuals can be vulnerable to contamination," said Dr. Stephen Foster, a hydro-geologist.
Lesley Thomas, The Sunday Times, 14 August 1994